Archive for the ‘Distinctives’ Category

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Growing up in Traders Point – 1880 to 1895

Saturday, February 20th, 2010

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Traders Point could have developed much differently

Saturday, March 28th, 2009

I am fascinated by land use and the role public and private property owners play in land-use entitlements. There is a delicate balance between private property rights and the interests of the larger community. Zoning plays an important role in preserving and protecting private property values. Zoning can also result in disappointments for neighborhoods. Often political and economic development forces act like an invisible hand to subvert the interests of neighborhoods and even the Planning Department in land use. We will soon learn for example wheather the Ropkey property owned by Kite will be redeveloped in a manner which complements our community or alters it negatively.
These photos compare the way the area has developed to the way it could have developed if fate had played its cards differently.
After the Woodstock Country Club fire in the 1914, the board briefly considered a site on Moore Road for rebuilding, according to the late Madeline Fortune Elder. That site today is the Elder’s Traders Point Farm. (Members led by J.K. Lilly and Benjamin Harrison selected a site on Crawfordsville Road that is now the Country Club of Indianapolis.) When J.K. Lilly donated his 3500 acre Eagle’s Crest estate to Purdue University in the 1950s, they briefly proposed it as a site for a particle accelerator that went to Illinois and is now known as the Fermi Lab. When a gravel pit at West 86th and I-465 came on the market in the 1980s, it was briefly considered by Sunshine Promotions as a site for an outdoor amphitheater. This venue is now located in Hamilton County and is known as the Verizon Music Center. When Pike Township Public Schools considered purchasing a site at the northwest corner of West 86th Street and Moore Road for a middle school in 2005, Sheila Fortune stepped in and acquired the site for organic farming. When the Colts came to town in the 1980s they needed a site for a training facility and the city proposed a park-owned site south of West 56th Street. The Parks Department stepped in and insisted any transfer of city-owned parks land be swapped with other city-owned land. A site between West 79th Street and Interstate 65 was identified and the city terminated the mineral rights agreement with Allied Aggregates enabling the parcel to become a nature preserve. The Traders Point Creamery farmland was designated in the 1970s as a site for a neighborhood park. A 35 acre parcel at West 79th Street and Marsh Road was briefly considered by Traders Point Christian Church in 2003. After a zoning defeat on that site the church acquired 100 acres on Indianapolis Road in Boone County. Obviously things could have been much different.

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Dandy Trail Bridge at Fishback Creek

Saturday, March 28th, 2009

Any kayaker venturing down Eagle Creek into the reservoir, and every fisherman knows this rusty old bridge. It’s at the southwest corner of Fishback Creek and Eagle Creek. Dandy Trail was a scenic roadway that meandered along the westside of Eagle Creek and came out at Traders Point at Lafayette Road. The camera phone pics were taken during a low water mark during the summer of 2007.

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Lilly's overlook

Saturday, March 28th, 2009

J.K. Lilly built what would become the original location of the Lilly Library on the top of a bluff overlooking Eagle Creek. From this vantage point, approximately 100′ above the valley, he could see the diverse wildlife of the area, and perhaps his own dairy farm operation operated by the Hardins near Wilson Road and Dandy Trail. The building was little more than a lodge or cabin. Here’s a camera phone photo taken a couple of years ago. The sun had just hit the red panel of the Coke machine and the whole building came to life. Although camera phones are not known for great photos, I trust you can appreciate what attracted Mr. Lilly to build on this site. Although the library was long ago relocated to Indiana University, the building reportedly still has lead-lined walls. The copper gutters are original and remain, for now. Unfortunately the parks department is not maintaining the property with the dignity it deserves.

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Herman Krannert, Normandy Farms and Traders Point

Saturday, March 28th, 2009

In the early 20th century, the Traders Point area became the location of choice for some of Marion County’s wealthier residents, including Department Store pioneers William H. Block & L.S. Ayres, Eli Lilly, J. K. Lilly, Industrialist Harold Ransburg, and Herman Krannert. An industrialist who in his later years became a prominent philanthropist, Herman C. Krannert, founded Inland Container. One of his quieter achievements was a meticulously planned estate, located between Noel Road and Marsh Road on the south side of West 79th Street. The rolling estate was accessed by driving through a two story gatehouse which still stands on the property. Krannert and his wife lived on the 600 acre property they purchased in 1934. Years later following Mr. Krannert’s death, trustees sold their property and it was eventually developed into the Normany Farms subdivision.
The original Normandy Farm not only included Mr. Krannert’s private residence, there was also an elaborate and modern (for its day) dairy farm operation. The farm was managed by agricultural experts and assisted by Purdue University. It was reputed to be one of the most advanced dairy farming operations in the nation. Mrs. Krannert named the property Normandy Farm after the province in France called “Normandie” because it reminded her of the French countryside with its picturesque landscapes of rolling hills, farms, and forests. Mr. Krannert died in 1972 at the age of 84. In 1975 approximately 395 acres of the farm were sold to developer John Kleinops, who had developed the nearby Trader’s Point North subdivision. Representatives of the Krannert estate expressed great satisfaction that Mr. Kleinops would be the indvidual to develop Normandy Farms. They wanted the property to be developed to a standard consistent with Mr. Krannert’s reputation for excellence and aesthetics.
After consulting experts in land planning and architecture, John Kleinops spent two years designing and planning the new subdivision. He aimed to preserve the environs that made this property unique, including the imported specimen trees as well as the topographical features of the property. This necessitated the implementation of conservation and erosion controls into the developent plan. As a result, Normany Farms subdivision was designated as the Urban Conservationist of the Year in 1980 by the Soil & Water Conservation Board.
Normandy Farms was the site of the 1980 Home-A-Rama and the 1983 Designer Showcase of Homes. The developer currently resides in the mansion built by Krannert surrounded by Kleinops-built homes. Kleinops is a Latvian-born artisan known for the old-world craftmanship of the homes he built. John’s son Bob is fully engaged by the completion of the master plan. Their current project, located at the southwest corner of West 79th Street and Marsh Roads, is called Estates at Normandy Farm. http://www.estatesofnormandy.com/
Krannert was a social friend of neighbor J. K. Lilly, (who also made generous contributions to Purdue University). One can only guess which one of them introduced the other to this beautiful area. Aerial photos of the Krannert estate in Traders Point from the 1930’s reveal an estate very similar to its present professionally landscaped plan. It is possible that Frederick Law Olmstead’s landscape as architecture techniques being taught and popularized at the time, had spread to the affluent in rural Indiana.

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Pike Township/Eagle Creek as described in 1975 Book

Saturday, March 28th, 2009

“It is the nostalgic rural character that makes Pike Township unique and sets it apart from other developing Indianapolis areas. The naturally beautiful rolling farmland and forested areas are still dominated by many of the farmsteads, homes and small villages built by the area’s earliest settlers. Also adding to the liesurely atmosphere of the township are the numerous nurseries and the country estates of some of Indianapolis’ most notable families. Although farming is no longer the primary economic base of the township, a great many farmsteads still remain. Many of these structures, now obsolete due to age, changing farming methods and farm consolidation, have been abandoned. These structures add both a sense of rusticity and depreciation to the area. Other farmsteads, adapting to changing times, continue to prosper, either in their original use or with altered functions, such as serving the growing recreational market. In the north and west portions of the township, and across the county line to the north (Traders Point area, ed. RR), one can see a large number of horses. This area is reputed to be developing a reputation as a major horse-breeding center compared by some to Kentucky’s Blue Grass Area.

While the area’s more modern houses are indiscernible from their suburban counterparts, the older homes tend to reflect the conservative attitudes and limited means of their rural or small-village builders. The largest examples compare in size and ostentatiousness to only the more modest urban examples of the same time period. The most outstanding features of these homes are their intimate scale and the intricate woodwork, which remains intact on many of the houses today. It is reputed that there are more than one hundred houses over one hundred years old still standing in Pike Township. The most notable is the Robinson-Sparks house (7658 Noel Road in Traders Point area). This remodeled log cabin contains its original log walls, a black walnut corner cupboard, the original fireplace and a split-log “punchin’ floor”. The timbers in the attic are black walnut. The terrace along the first story was built using homemade bricks. The home is one of the two oldest houses in Marion County and boasts an 1830 land grant bearing Andrew Jackson’s signature. Also of note is the Hollingsworth Homestead (6054 Hollingsworth Road). A two-story brick pioneer residence built in 1854 with walls three bricks thick, a parlor, a “plunder room” for children on the second floor and three fireplaces. The pioneering Hollingsworth family held the old farmhouse for three generations. It is now owned by the UNIGOV Department of Parks and Recreation. Plans are being made ot establish a Pike Township Historical Museum in the house (*ed. note this never occurred). An application has been made for the admission of the Hollingsworth House to the National Registry of Historic Landmarks.

. . .A large beech tree in the Eagle Creek Park area bears the signature of Daniel Boone reputably carved during a surveying expedition (ed. note, PBS movie on this is available elsewhere on this blog).

Other homes mentioned in the book narrative and that are located within the Traders Point Triangle:
8407 Moore Road: Moore/Asher House, 1879, The original portion of this home is a two-story cubicle-shaped frame farm house. It contains an enclosed narrow stairway, long narrow windows, large beams in the basement and walnut woodwork.
7356 Lakeside Drive: McCune/Sacks House, 1855, This two-story frame house features a “wrap-around” porch now covering 2 1/2 sides, mortar foundation, hewn logs in the basement walls and yellow poplar wood in the exterior brought from Cincinnati. In the early 1900’s the house was owned by Mrs. Carl Fisher (blog ed. note: widow of Indianapolis Motor Speedway and Miami Florida developer Carl Fisher) and used as a country home. During Mrs. Fisher’s ownership the Salvation Army operated a summer camp for children on the grounds. One summer Governor Thomas R. Marshall gave a speech on the home’s porch, in connection with the camp.
6360 West 79th Street, Cotto/Ropkey House, 1849. A two-story Georgian frame home, featuring yellow poplar siding, a boulder foundation, hewn timbers in the basement and heavy, wide-board oak floors. The interior of the old home also contains a winding stairway with cherry rail, high ceilinged rooms and some windows containing the original glass panes. A terrace runs around the whole structure. An antique lightning rod atop the roof completes the charming effect.

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Eagle Creek Park History

Saturday, March 28th, 2009

(narrative from 1983, Indianapolis Landscape Architecture book)
Eagle Creek is one of the nation’s largest city parks. Of its 4574 acres, over thirteen hundred make up the reservoir. The creation of this expansive city park was the combined effort of many public and private individuals over several years. Kennedy Brown Associates generated the Eagle Creek Park Master Plan that was officially adopted December 4, 1974 and amended October 20, 1976. The plan addressed issues such as flood control, recreational potential, site analysis of vegetation, soils and topography, transportation to and within the park, and future land uses in this primarily undeveloped area of Indianapolis. Also identified within the plan are excellent examples of the Beech-Maple Climax Forest that at time covered 80% of the state.
The interest in retaining the natural resources of the park land for the public’s enjoyment has directed subsequent development within Eagle Creek.
Recreational activities include picnicking, hiking, bicycling, cross country skiing, swimming, sailing, boating, fishing, horseback riding, and archery. No motorized boats are allowed on the reservoir. At the time of the purchase, the park land included several residences. Some have been removed, while others have been retained and renovated. One of these remaining homes is known as the Lilly Lodge. Originally a Lilly residence, this property now serves as a center for park programs and conventions. Another is the former residence of Edward Block which is now Eagle’s Crest. This facility is used for seminars and meetings and is available for public use. Also within the park one can find the 27-hole Eagle Creek Golf Course, and the Indian Museum (moved in 1989 to the Eitlejorg Museum in downtown Indianapolis, http://www.eiteljorg.org/) containing an extensive collection of original Indian artifacts. Ross Vogelgesang, landscape architect in the city’s Department of Metropolitan Development at the time the city purchased the land in 1968 says: “without landscape architects on its staff, Eagle Creek Park never would have materialized. It took approximately 11 years from the day we first suggested the park until there was water in the lake. I’m biased of course, but I really believe that landscape architects are the only professionals equipped to carry through a project of such scope from concept to construction.”

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C. Noble Bretzman and Traders Point

Saturday, March 28th, 2009

William Fortune’s Traders Point home would later become the residence of significant photographer Noble Bretzman. Noble Bretzman is buried in Old Pleasant Hill Cemetery, a short walk across Moore Road from his Traders Point home. The following biographical depiction of Noble and his father Charles, was written by Kathleen Donnelly and was published in the Encyclopedia of Indianapolis, 1999. The photographs depicted were taken by Bretzman for Home by The River by Archibald Rutledge, South Carolina’s poet laureate, published in 1941 by Indianapolis publisher Bobbs Merrill Co.
“C. Noble Bretzman, born in Indianapolis in 1909, began his career sweeping the floors of his father’s photography studio, though he soon became a journeyman retoucher and staff photographer. After graduation from Shortridge High School, he attended a school for professional photographers at Winona Lake, Indiana. He worked for a time in New York City where he was Radio City Music Hall’s first public relations photographer and took pictures of the Rockettes. Noble also set up his own studio specializing in illustrative photography. His business flourished as advertisers began to request photography instead of artwork to illustrate their products. He returned to Indianapolis in 1934 after the death of his father, took over the family business and introduced his distinctive style to local advertisers. Before signing an exclusive contract with L.S. Ayres, Bretzman took fashion photographs for a number of Indianapolis department stores. His photography was credited with inspiring the slogan, “That Ayres Look”. He also was a noted portrait photographer. In his later years Bretzman became passionately interested in ballet. He was a co-founding board member of Indianapolis’ first professional ballet company. He later served as Vice President and General Manager of the Indianapolis Ballet Theatre. Just before his death he founded Bravo Project, Inc., a not for profit corporation to interest school age children in the performing arts. Noble Bretzman donated his negative files and his father’s business records to the Indiana Historical Society in 1980.” (blog ed. note: Noble Bretzman’s sister, Julia, enjoyed some notoriety too. Before being married to the country’s top spy, CIA leader Richard Helms, she interviewed Adolf Hitler in 1936 while covering the Olympics in Nurenberg for UPI.)

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Traders Point Gives Up the Ghost (Indianapolis News Aug. 1, 1968)

Saturday, March 28th, 2009

(photo of 1958 Flood in Traders Point and a recent color photo from the same location which shows TOX DROP activities taking place within the same floodway – IRONY)

 

 
“One would be hard-pressed to find a point in Traders Point, much less a trader. Traders Point is gone–population zero. All that remains of the settlement on U.S. 52 northwest of Indianapolis is a Farm Bureau Co-op building, Pike Township Fire Station No. 2, an abandoned Standard service station, 19 telephones and eight road signs. Although it has not been confirmed, it is believed that what remains of Traders Point will someday be gone–highway and all.It is six-tenths of one mile between city limits signs. Located between the two Traders Point signs four years ago were 14 homes, a grocery, two churches, a garage and what now remains. Demolition crews and bulldozers have succeeded in making Traders Point just a ‘wide place in the road.’ Why? Eagle Creek Reservoir, says the Indianapolis Flood Control Board office. ‘Political move,’ says a former lifetime resident of Traders Point. Normal pool elevation of the reservoir will be 790 feet above sea level. Flood elevation would be 811.5 feet. Traders Point elevation is 800 feet. Hence, at flood level, Traders Point would be 11 feet under water. Therefore, U.S. 52 might also be abandoned, with I-65 or a new section of Ind. 100 now under construction to be used in place of the highway.Albert Hardin, 8104 Wilson Road, is a 62-year old employee of Purdue University. He has been a resident of the Traders Point area since 1906. ‘The people who have been moved out of Traders Point look at the reservoir as a political joke,’ Hardin said. ‘It’s a crime that they made people move out of there. We can’t understand why they took ground higher than the Interstate (I-65) because it might someday be under water. Back when I was a tot I can recall my grandfather talking about going to the Civil War from Traders Point, so that gives you some idea as to how old the settlement is, Hardin said.There were good, livable homes in Traders Point which had been handed down from generation to generation, and now it’s gone. But, he concluded, I’ve quit worrying about it.’ So have a lot of other people. There’s no one left in Traders Point to worry.

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New Bird Observatory etc.

Saturday, March 28th, 2009

One of my favorite spots at Eagle Creek Park is where Fishback Creek feeds into Eagle Creek Reservoir. This is a truly spectacular spot by canoe or kayak. And now the Eagle Creek Foundation and a group of ornithologists have improved it further with the construction of an observation platform that juts into the reservoir. This spot can be accessed by parking on city-owned property located on the southside of Wilson Road several hundred feet west of Crown Point Road, and than walking approximately one half mile to the southeast. The site of the observatory is on the southeast corner of a seven acre former homestead of famed artist Cassilly Adams. I have written elsewhere about Adams, who was a very significant former resident of the area until his passing in 1926.

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